1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer or network antivirus applications and more specifically to an antivirus stand-alone network or Internet appliance and methods therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Antivirus application programs are commonly used in the art to protect computers or networks from computer virus infections. Conventional antivirus application programs are installed and stored within the computer or user terminal for antivirus protection against extraneous virus attempts to infect that computer or user terminal through network or Internet traffic. For new or emergent viruses not included in the application programs, additional installations of upgrade programs or patches for the new viruses are required at the user terminal, through a download installation via the Internet or physical installation at the user terminal.
There are nonetheless shortcomings in the antivirus application programs in the art in protecting the user terminal against computer viruses. Storing antivirus application programs at the user terminal inordinately occupies hardware and software resources therein. Additional installations of upgrade programs or patches at the user terminal are time- and resource-consuming, which routinely interrupt normal operations of the user terminal. Moreover, computer viruses may have physically entered the user terminal through automatic plug-ins or upgrade patches before being detected by the antivirus application programs.
There is therefore a general need in the art for an optimal antivirus device and methods therefor overcoming at least the aforementioned shortcomings in the art. In particular, there is a need in the art for an optimal antivirus device and methods therefor advantageously reducing the utilization of hardware and software resources of the user terminal when operating the antivirus application programs.